Heater



F. E. THOMES Sept. 30, 193p.

HEATER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1928 Invenlon fiavi/Zflamw. BY

filter/76y.

F! E. THOMES HEATER Filed Jan. 21, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 I 4 M H o w 9two water Patented Sept. 30, 1930 FRANK rnomns, or son-12H immune, MemeHEATER.

Application filed 1mm 21, Serial N'o. 248143.

My invention relates to improvements in steam and hot water' heatingapparatus'employed principally in connection with" house heating butapplicable alsd'for' oflice build a 5 ing or'fa'ctory heatingpurpose s.V V Numerous styles types'of heating boilers are manufactured andincommercial nse,

each type difier'ingin certain respects from the others but all bearing,in one particular,

a close resemblance in that but a.single' or unitary body of water isprovided, through the medium of which heat transmitted, either directlyor through conversion into steam-or vapor,

necessitating inall cases the heating of the whole water contents ofthe'boiler in one body orbulk. e

. In the conception of this'inventionl have sought as the primaryobject; af division of the water'space within the heaterinto two or morechambers; vertically separated and dis tinct, and to illustrate the ideathe simplest form I h ve shownn I V scribed in -my specification: a'heater having chambers, constituting'a two-stage I have for anotherobjectto providea steam or hot-water delivery memberetartm from eachivater chamber and preferably mer'ging 12o intoone line as it passesto-theheating sys;

I term, the connections iii-any event being made insuch a manner tliateither *onechamber alone or a plurality of chambers may drawn on forsteam or hot-waterQfdepen'd :3 ing on whichheating medium'is'employ'edin the heating service. J

Another, and ever speci fi c object con cerns the returning of allcondensation in the heating lines and radiators directly to the i0uppermost ofthewater'chambers.

Another object is to supply a" member through whichiwater may overflow"from one chamber to the nextbe'low, serving, when 'thjje heater isoperating as a steani boiler" to re;

place the"water evaporated "in" the bottom chamber, and when employed asa hot-water boiler-'tdinsuie runeuambers a t 'all times. A further. object is to'so cor-farmer thdin;

terior of the heater that substantially all 7 heatingsurfaces of thefurnace are vertically to the" heating system, but

the drawings and dedisposed, eliminating so: far as possible allhorizontal surfaces on whichcarbonaceous matter may collect to aconsiderabledepth and thereby reduce the efiectiveheatiiig surfacetothat extent. This arraiigemeht'makes clean-out doors unnecessary e emiesitself readily to a design or form oi? turnacejwall of serratedoutlineyprovidinga large number of water pockets'which greatly 'augmiitsjthe total heating surfacefof thejboiler.

and seen further object resides met utilization, in my presentinventiomof certain features incorporated in the; heater a patent onwhich was granted me on J 5H1; 1928, No. 1,67 2,7 93,thefeat'uresreferredf to involving auxiliary flame flues which; have provenvery efficacious when used 1n con unctlonwlth the novelarrangement'ofparts in the heater which is the su'bjectofthis'application. p V H Other objects and advantages will beap parentfrom the description I found hereinafiter in the specificationyvhedtakeifiiiicgjhfnection with the accompanying drawings which thepreferred embodiiheiit of my in vention is disclosed.

In the drawings, 1n which snnllar chara.-

ters of reference are employedto identify like or equivalent partsthroughout all the different views V j Fig. 1 is aplan view oftlieheater Fig. 2is a frontelevationthereofi" Fig. 3is a sectional'elevationta'lieno 3"-3 Fig. 1; 1 i Fig. 1 isafragmentarysectionalel'ev'atioii taken on line 4 4", Fig. 1;

+ig. 5' is asectional plan use taken o'ii' line Fit-.5", Fig. 3;

Fig. 6' is a.sectional plan: taken on line spectively,

f th ab e urn ce bo tom and. 8 are plan and endviews; re- 7 memberemployed when the'heater is made i rectangular in shape;

Fig. 9.isasectional elevation ofthe built-in water-level "indicating"device used on the lower water chamberj the sectioii being taken on line"9 9", Fig.1, and 1 Fig. 10 is a sectional plan fthef latter member,taken on linef10*"10" Fig: '9.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the base member of my heaterwithin which is the ash-pit 1. Secured to and positioned above the basemember is the boiler section B which is provided with a water chamber 2.Surmounting the member B is another somewhat similar shaped boilersection C within which is also a water chamber 3. These foregoingmembers are secured together by bolts 4 which pass through flanges andlugs 5. The ash-door 6, clinker-door 7 and feed-door 8 are located onthe three sections, A, B and C, respectively,-the latter members, forthe purpose of illustration only, being shown round, although it isobvious that other shapes, as rectangular or oblong might be adopted andwould serve as satisfactorily in practical operation.

\Vithin the base A and supported on rolls or balls 9 is a frusto-conicalshaped member 10 having radially disposed ribs 10 on its upper, inclinedsurface. This member car ries a portion of the fuel-bed adjacent thewall of the furnace and its function is to stir up and clear theoutlying portions of the fuel-bed, directly beneath the flame flues, sothat an active fire can be maintained at this point. Its actuation isaccomplished by the use of the shaker rod 11 which is pivotallyconnected therewith at 12,the rod extending through the base A andhaving on its outer end a handle with which to manipulate it. The member10 can be oscillated a short way in either direction.

Beneath the member 10 and located in a frame 13 is a grate 1a which isprovided with staples 15, by the engagement with which of any suitableutensil, as a bent-end bar, the grates may be reciprocated in the frame,the operation being performed through the ash-door opening, or ifpreferred by a rod extending through the base casting in a similarmanner as does the rod 11. I

If reference be had to Figs. 3 and 6 it will be observed that the boilersection B has a vertically disposed, irregular shaped inner wall 16extending into the furnace space for the greater portion of the heightof the section and that the corrugated formation provides alternatewater spaces or pocketsl7 and flame flues 18, the latterbeing providedon their inner sides with narrow slots 19, cutting the wall 16 andextending from the bottoms of the flues to the flue-ports 20. Theseslots are for the purpose of relieving the strain on the wall due to theexpansion and contrac tion of the metal when alternately heated andcooled.

This auxiliary flame flue construction is substantially like thatdisclosed in my former patent on heaters, hereinbefore referred to.

A damper 21, also an element in the previously mentioned case, opens orcloses the ports 20 according as it is desired to either increase waterchamber 2 a or decrease, respectively, the activity of the The damperhas depending portions alternating with spaces to match thecircumferential spacing of the ports 20, so that the latter can be fullyclosed or fully opened. A bent-end bar with which to engage the staple22 is employed in rotating the damper.

From an opening through the top of the pipe 23 extends upwardly andcarries either steam or hot-water to the heating system,depending onwhether the boiler is being used as a steam or hot-water producer.

The member C which is shown in sectional elevation in Fig. 3 and insectional plan in Fig. 5 has a water capacity preferably somewhatgreater than has section B. As is the case with section B, the section Chas water pockets 24 which alternate around its inner wall with smokefiues 25.'

An inner wall 26, which is the counterpart of wall 16 in member B,depends from the top of member 0 into the furnace space for somewhatmore than half its height. The

inner walls of the smoke flues 25 are slit, as are the smoke fiues insection B, the slots 26 cutting the wall 26 for the reason hereinbeforementioned in the case of wall 16. The

flues 25 have at their upper ends flue ports 27 which normally exit tothe chimney.

At the lower end of wall 26 is an auxiliary damper 28, revolubly mountedon the rod 29 .which extends through the walls of the heater and isprovided with a handle 30 on the outside. u Within the upper, section CI insert the serve to provide smoke central opening 31 in sleeve 32 thelower end of which preferably depends below the b0ttoms of the ports 27.This provides a slight downward draft and retards somewhat the outflowof burning gas and aids in more completely consuming it within thefurnace. The length of this sleeve, however, may be varied to suit eachinstallation. The shorter the sleeve the more direct is the passage ofsmoke from the furnace and where draft conditions are poor a shortersleeve may be employed.

Communicating with the interior of member C, at its top end, is the pipewhich, with the proper fittings including the valve 34, unites with thepipe 23 rising from section B.

A pipe 35 extends from an outwardly pro- .jecting portion, C, of thesection C, down- .wardly into and substantially to the bottom of sectionB and serves to conduct the overflow of surplus water of condensationreturning by the way of pipe. 36 from the heating lines, into member B.

It 1s sometimes desirable, as for instance in extremely cold weather, tolower the water level in section C, below its normal location,

so as-to provide more steam spacein chamber 315i 3. This naturallyraises the levelof the water inchamber 2,- but in this case, where-thetwo sections are'called upon-to-supply their maximum steam output, thecombination operates more like an ordinary steam b0iler,- the uppersection, as a matter of fact, supplying even more of the steam than'thelower one. Releasing the check-nut shown on pipe permits of the latterbeing adjusted vertically in the'chamber 3, with a consequent relocationof the water level therein. Cocks 2 and 3' provide means to drain thewater'chambers 2 and 3, respectively, of

their-contents when requirede It will be observed that under normalworking conditions the top end of pipe'35is flush with thewater level inmember C, there being always, in the steam boiler, a space above thewater in chamber 2. In the hot-water boiler both chambers, 2 and 3, aswell as the heating lines are always full'of' water.

When operating with a strong and active fire, ebullition in chamber 2often becomes violent. This condition makes it difficult to accuratelygauge the water level in this chamber when reliance is placed on theordinary gauge glass columns quite generally used'for this purpose.

I have therefore devised for and use in connection with the lowersection B animproved method of indicating the water level,

this element being illustratedin detail in Figs. 9 and 10. I i I I Anopening 37 in the side of member B provides open communication forsubstantially its fulllength between the chamber 2 and the'interior ofthe gauge body 38, which latter memberissecuredito the member B by thebolts 38'. A flange 39, projecting inwardly, extends completely aroundthe periphery of the body and serves asa seat for the interposed packing40 against which the rectangular shaped flat valve 41 abuts-when it isdesired to close communication between the water chamber 2 andtheinterior of the gauge body 38.

A screw threaded rod 42, supportedin the bearing43 and the stufling-box44, 0 erates to open or close the valve 41. lass strips 45 placed oneach side of and adjacent the openings 46 in the gauge body permits ofthe water level being visible: These glass pieces are cemented into thepads 47 lwhich are bolted to the sides .of-the member 38, Guides 48 holdthe valve 41 against rotationwhen actuating the rod .42.

As is obvious, an accurate tab maybe kept on the water level in chamber2 by this 'constructiom'as the'interior of the indicator is, to allintents and purposes, [an integral part of chamber 2 and there is nopossibility of the water lifting or siphoning to cause the operator tobe deceived as to the amount of water in the chamber, as isthe as asubstitute the ordinary gauge cocks49, 2 one above and the other belowthe normal water level in this chamber.

As I have before stated, the characteristic features of my invention maybe incorporated in a heater of rectangular shape. It

can easily be visualized how the'members A, B, and C can be changed tothis form.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated the elements in rectangular formwhich function to produce practically the same results as does thecircular member 10in the round heater.-

In this construction the sides a and bare movable and the end pieces 0and d are fixed,although these latter may be constructed so as to'movealso if desired.

The main supports for the structure are the bearer bars 50 which areattachedto the heaterbase casting in any approved manner.

The end piecesa and 03* are secured to these bearer bars'by means of thebolts and the side pieces a and b may he .rec1procated on thesebars andthe central support ing brackets 51 when it is required to stir the fuelbed. 7 I 7 The screw eyes 50 offer means by which,

with a bentend bar or poker,,the-members a and b may be actuated.

The ends of the elements 0 and cl are undercut, asseenin Fig. 8, so thattheside members wand b mayslide by and under more direct draft to thechimney-is provided to prevent gas or smoke. blasting back through thefeed-door opening when the fresh fuel is added Afterre-fuelingandthefurnace door is closed, the damper: 28

is returned to closed position also,as seen in Fig. 3. The fuel addedshould not bring the fuel level much higher than the tops ofthe ports-20which will allow the hot flame passing upwardlythrough theflues .18 fromthe hottest-portion of the fuel-bed .to ignite the gasliberatedfromthecoal before .it escapes up the chimney.

If'an active fire is required,.the valve 34 is opened and theheater,vnow operating at full capacity, isfurnishing steam to the heat-;ing lines from-both of the sections, Band C, through the pipes 23 and33, respectively.

During the night time, however, or through periods in theday time whena' low fireissuflicient, the valve 34 is closed. .Steam to the heatinglines can now be delivered directly from the pipe 23 only, and as thisis in communication with the section B in which is the smaller portionof the boiler water, which accordingly will evaporate more readily, andfurthermore as this section is adjacent the hottest portion of thebanked fuel-bed there will result the making of a certain amount ofsteam, which, passing to the heating lines will provide an amount ofheat sufficient for the low duty which the heater is now called upon toperform.

It might be well, at this point, to contrast this condition with thatwhich would have obtained had the same furnace heat been distributed totwo or more times the amount of water,or the amount which would berequired to be heated in the ordinary type of boiler.

The returns from condensation of steam in the heating lines passes tothe section C and any surplus or amount of water Which would raise thelevel above the top of pipe 35 in this section passes or overflows tosection B. Thus a very constant level of water is maintained in thechamber 2 once the system has become filled with steam,provided, ofcourse, that there are no leaks in the pipe lines. As a matter of fact,however, there will be a slow loss of water, due to radiator air valveand other ways of escape from the system, but this is easily replaced bythe admission of more water through the feed valve 53, the entrancebeing into chamher 3.

Then operating the heater under the conditions as last recited it isobvious that what amounts to a small, independent butvery efficientheater is provided, necessitating the raising of but a small body ofwater to the steam generating temperature; that by returning allcondensation to the upper chamber 3 it receives a pre-heating beforepassing to chamber 2, due to the fact that a certain amount of heat isbound to rise from the borders of the banked fuel-bed and cause amoderate temperature of the water in chamber 3 to be maintained,acombination, in effect and result, closely resembling a feed-waterheater; that by utilizing the heat in the banked fuel-bed in thismanner, made possible by the novel arrangement of flame flues, the roomsof the house or other building are kept at a comfortable temperaturethrough the night, making it unnecessary to force the furnace fire inthe morning to an extent which would otherwise be required; andfurthermore, due to the several characteristic features embodied in thestructure of the heater, a very cheap or low grade of fuel may be used,materially reducing heating costs. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is a second annular water-holding 1. A heater, adaptedfor use in steam and hot water heating systems, comprising two separateand distinct annular Water-holding members, one superimposed upon theother, the lower one devoid of a crown sheet and the upper one adaptedto receive the direct and unobstructed radiation of heat from the entiresurface of the fuel-bed of said heater, means whereby the heating agent,either steam or hot water, may be drawn directly and solely from thelower of the two said members and passed to the heating system, andmeans operable to draw from both members, collectively, for heatingpurposes only, the heating agent for said heating system.

2. In a heater, adapted for use in heating systems, the combination witha grate therefor, of two annular water holding membersone superimposedupon the other, a combustion chamber comprising the combined andunobstructed space included between the inner walls of both of said'annwlar members, a central opening through the upper of the two said membersadapted to serve as means to conduct smoke from said heater, a pluralityof vertically disposed, circumferentially spaced flues in said uppermember, said flues being formed by the wall of said central opening, theinterior wall of said upper member and two radial walls interconnectingthe two said first named walls, a port through the inner wall of each ofsaid flues, near the top thereof, adapted to provide communicationbetween said flue and said central opening, a damper adapted to normallyclose the bottom of said smoke pipe, below said ports, a pipe leadingfrom the upper interior of the lower one of the two said members to theheating system, a pipe leading from the upper interior of the upper oneof the two said members to said heating system, both of said pipes beingadapted to serve as main steam carriers to convey steam from said heaterto said heating system, a valve on said last mentioned pipe,'a pipeextending from near the bottom of the interior of said lower member intothe interior of the said upper member, near the top thereof, and meansto vary the position of said last mentioned pipe with respect to itslocation, vertically, within said upper member.

3. A heater, adapted for use in steamand hot-water heating systems,comprising in combination with a grate, an annular waterholding sectionsuperjacent said grate and a plurality of vertically disposed smoke andflame flues circumferentially spaced on the inner side of the interiorwall of said section,

section disposed above but apart from said first mentioned section andhaving a centrally disposed, unobstructed combustion chamber, for theburning of gas, of substantially the same dimensions as that of thespace enclosed by the fines in the said first section-thetwo said spacesmerging, a centrally disposed opening in the upper portion of saidsecond section of lesser diameter than that of the said combustionchamber, said opening serving as a smoke pipe through which to conductsmoke and gas from said heater, a plurality of smoke fiues in saidsecond section disposed above said combustion chamber andcircumferentially spaced around the wall of said smoke pipe, said fluesbeing bounded by the interior wall of said second section, the wall ofsaid smoke pipe and two radial walls interconnecting the two firstmentioned walls, a

plurality of flue ports each cutting the wall of said smoke pipe andproviding means of communication between the space in the respectivefines and the interior of said smoke pipe, means for conveying servicesteam for the heating system from one or both of said sections, andmeans to convey water from the said second section to the said firstsection.

4. A heater adapted for use in steam and hot-water heating systems,comprising in combination with a lower, water-holding section having arelatively large, unobstructed central opening therethrough and aplurality of vertically disposed smoke and flame flues circumferentiallyspaced around and inside of its inner wall, an upper water-holdingsection disposed in separate relation to said lower section, acombustion space in said upper section of substantially the sametransverse dimension as that of the clear opening in said lower section,the two spaces merging into one large fuel consuming chamber divided asbetween the two sections in substantially equal portions, a centralopening through the upper portion of said upper section, a plurality ofsmoke flues alternating with water spaces arranged in an annular spaceimmediately surrounding the wall of said central opening, said fiuesbeing formed by the interior wall of said upper section, the wall ofsaid central opening and two radial walls joining the two firstmentioned walls, a flue port cut in the wall of said central openingabreast of each of said fiues, means operable to either open or closethe bottomend of said central opening, means intercommunieating with theinteriors of both of saidsectionswhereby a steam space may be maintainedin each, and means to vary the elevation of the water level in the upperof the two said sections.

5. A heater comprising in combination with an annular water-holdingsubmember having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, verticallydisposed smoke and flame flues lying adjacent its inner wall and sopositioned, vertically, that when said member is filled with fuel, smokeand flame may enter said fiues from one portion and exit into anotherportion of the fuel-bed, a super memher disposed in separate relation tosaid submember and provided with an annular'water leg for a portion ofits height, said water leg enclosing two sides of a relatively large,unobstructed combustion chamber, a central opening through the upperportion of said super member, a plurality of smoke fiues arranged incircumferentially spaced order around the outside of the wall of saidcentral opening, said last mentioned fiues alternating with water spacesand extending upwardly from said combustion chamber for a portion of theremaining height of said super member, each of said flues, further,being formed by the wall of said central opening, the inner wall of saidsuper member and two radial walls connecting the two first mentionedwalls, a port in each of said flues last mentioned, a damper adapted,normally, to close the lower end of said central opening whereby smokepassing from said combus-' tion chamber must exit exclusively throughsaid flues and said ports, means whereby a steam space may be maintainedin said sub and said super members, an overflow pipe connecting said subwith said super member, means to vary the position, vertically, of saidpipe whereby various elevations of water level may be procured in saidsuper member, and means whereby full capacity service line steam may bedrawn from one or from both of said members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature FRANK E. THO ES.

